The Tale Of Woe Parody
by HopesAndDreams44
Summary: What if the Tale Of Woe was a small novel instead of a plot comic? This is my book version of The Tale Of Woe. Will be updated frequently. Rated T because I just want to be safe. Oh, and there are a few extra scenes and some chapters are merged.
1. Chapter 1

**_Neopets Plot Parody- The Tale Of Woe_**

**_Disclaimer- I DO NOT own Neopets or its characters. To make it a little original, some chapters are merged or new scenes are added. ENJOY! _**

**-Normal POV-**

On one of the many dark, cold, lonely nights that surround the Haunted Woods, a -very, very lost- traveler named Gillian wanders into the darkness of the spooky woods. It's a particularly dark, chilly, scary night- the probable logic to that is that it's the day before Halloween…

At only ten years old, she had already escaped Eliv Thade's castle in just under one night, solving all of his clever puzzles. _In one night._ No one who has entered his castle has made it out- well, except Gilly, of course. Upon figuring this out, he had chased her out of his grand mansion, and that was only a day ago.

Now she was looking for more adventures to endure, but the haunted woods had nothing interesting, besides the spooky trees, the darkness, the vampires, werelupes, the Brain Tree. _Eliv Thade._ Sure, she's been there. And, yeah, she's done that, but she needs something… more.

Her red cape and grey patched skirt flow lightly in the ongoing breeze. With a worried expression, she clutches her lantern for dear life- it's a prized possession in this situation. If you were lost in the woods, you would be, too. Her hand was white from the pressure she was holding the lantern's handle. And if there's one thing we can all be certain about, she hated getting lost.

**-Gilly's POV-**

I think I'm _STILL_ covered in sweat from Eliv Thade's. Biggest mistake I've ever made. So, if you're going to have this huge mansion in the middle of the woods, then put up a warning sign. Or I might get lost and wander into it seeking warm shelter.

Oh, wait. I think there was one… I hate getting lost. Why does this _always _happen to me? It's nightfall and I have no idea where I am. Or honestly, where I'm going, as well.

Just as I think of curling up by one of the haunted trees, I see a light in the distance. A light! I'm saved! I start sprinting down the path, a new sheen of sweat consuming my brow. I don't care. I'm so hungry and cold. Upon closer look, it looks like a campfire. I sure hope they have food there. I'm starving- literally. And I just want to soak up the campfire's heat.

I come to the clearing, only to see a couple of gypsy girls twirling, and one has a tambourine. She dances and giggles with her friends. They look as if they are having fun, foot ornaments jingling.

I stare in wonder for so long, I don't notice time pass. A voice breaks from the small gathering.

"Welcome, young traveler. Come on over here, you look cold. Come sit by the fire." A brute gypsy man sitting by the fire tells me.

I take his generosity. "Thank you, kind sir," I say, slowly warming my gloved hands, "I could have sworn I was on the right path. I must have made a wrong turn somewhere."

"Be careful in these woods, child. There are many creatures that can harm you this late at night- especially the night before all Hallows Eve. You know, I was reading about some in this book," he says, holding up a purple book, "Would you like me to read you one?"

I smile, clapping my hands. "Oh, yes. Please. I love those stories!"

He opens up the book and reads soothingly and a picture plays in my mind.

"_There was once this little house in the Victorian-themed town named Neovia. In this town was a perfect little family. They were ordinary as they can be. The father's name was Edmund (who owned the family business)and his wife was Alice. They had three children- Bruno, the oldest, Reginald, the middle, and little Sophie, the youngest. And, like every family, they had their problems…_

_Their eldest son Bruno had his sights set on one girl in the town, Lilly. The problem was- Lilly was beautiful, while Bruno was charming and painfully shy._

'_Hi, Lilly.' He often tried to talked to the girl in the pink dress and bonnet- Lilly._

_Sadly, Oscar, Lilly's boyfriend, was overprotective. He clawed at Bruno, frightening Lilly very much. 'Oscar, please! Stop!'_

'_No, this little man needs to see what happens when you mess with my little girl.' She desperately tries to stop him- but he won't let up. He punched him, causing Bruno to fly backwards, his back landing onto the rock. Bruno took Lilly into his arms and walked away. 'That should teach him a lesson.'_

_He had neither the strength nor charm to win Lilly's heart. He just wished to be strong and handsome._

_He thinks there's no hope- until he meets his fate later in the streets. A mysterious man asked, 'You seem troubled young man. Perhaps I could help…'_

'_This elixir here can grant all of your wishes and chase all sorrows away. I only ask for a handful of neopoints in return. One sip, young fellow.' And that night, young Bruno drank the elixir, eager for his results. The next morning he was much more buff and handsome instead of skinny and sickly. His father noticed, sayimg he looked usually well._

_Bruno told his skeptical father of the elixir and how it had changed him overnight. 'Son, success is earned through hard work, not some silly potion!'_

_But, Edmund had his own problems to deal with- for years the family business was struggling in finances. He needed to keep the business open for his family. But, as he keeps struggling more, the business only seemed to be getting worse._

_Consumed with all of his hard work, as he was walking home, he is greeted by the same man, who offers him the same fate was Bruno's. 'Good sir, you seem as though you need some help. Please, let me be of service.'_

_Over the next few days, he is overjoyed to find that the business is booming. Finances are better and his son was right- the elixir works. He was finally free of debut of any kind._

_Word had spread throughout the city. The family was famous. Even their middle son, Reginald, used the elixir to become the smartest man in the world. Soon the man who first gave Bruno the potion had almost the entire town was lined up in front of the anonymous man. Every mother, father, daughter, and son lined up- because who wouldn't long for anything in this world?_

_First, the elixir did it's job…_

_But things aren't always as they seem…._


	2. Chapter 2

_"As the days passed, however, the potions revealed a darker side to them and their intentions. Edmund grew so fortunate that anyone who came close to him where suddenly suspicious to him. Bruno's charm and strength continued to grow. It grew so much that he was no longer handsome and much more brute, buff, and hideous. He was a muscular creature. Reginald was so smart that his vast knowledge bored into other people. No one could follow his conversations at all. He was left alone with his books to preoccupy him. _

_The townspeople went through other simular changes as well. They were now mutants , everyone of were either too fourtunate, too smart, too muscular, too pretty, too lucky, etc. At first, they blamed the mysterious man who sold the potion to the residents of Neovia. They wanted him to be exacuted for it and his head was to be displayed in front of the governer's mansion. Unfortunatly, the man disapeared as fast as he had shown up, leaving the Neovians to shift their foucus to Bruno, Edmund, and the family. _

_The people of the former peaceful, dull town hated them. Friends and neighboors turned the family down,until they had to take refuge, their home surrounded by an angery mob to survive the harsh crowds. Reginald went into their little sister's room only to find her sleeping. She was unaffected by the potion. She was the only one who didn't want anything more in this world. She most likely only wanted attention._

_They woke her up, Bruno and Reginald using their new forms to formulate a plan, all the while, their little sister brushing her short, green toned, hair. They cloaked her while Bruno agreed to take a chance. _

_Bruno distracted the crowd, and while they were distracted, Reginald took Sophie, who was only eight years old, into the darkness of the woods. They narrowly eascaped the angry mobs and screaming crowds._

_The two burst through the woods, branches and leaves scraping and grabbing at them. While Reginald was twelve, he was more scared of the woods then his little sister, who has wandered and looked through these woods many times. They ran, Reginald in the lead, pulling Sophie allong for at least an hour. They could not hear the angry mob anymore. He worried for the fate of their brother._

_Help finally came upon the two when they ran into a mysterious, beautiful earth faerie. She had long green hair and leaf-like wings. She was cloaked. Ilere was her name, and she was the center figure from many ghost stories. She wasn't as terrifying as the stories say she was. When Ilere reached out at Sophie, her brother pulled her back protectively. 'There isn't anywhere else she can go to, young one.' She had said._

_Reginald was hesitant, until his sister put her soft hand on his arm. 'It's alright, I feel safe with her, Reggie.' _

_Reginald had no other choice. He let her go, and watched sadly as they left. But, nonetheless, he returned to Neovia to help his brother._

_Back in Neovia, Bruno was holding off the crowds until he saw that his little sister was safe. But, crowds were just getting angrier by the minute. _

_'This is his fault!'_

_'Get him!' His mother and father huddled together, while listening to these horrid things be said to their son. Bruno was soon attacked by the mob. Terrified, his Edmund and Alice stayed in the basement. _

_Just as Bruno was chased out of the town, Reginald came back, only to see it unfold, while in a tiny bush. Once the coast was clear he ran back into his house. He found his parents and ushered them to safety. They ran to the old, forgotten mansion at the edge of town, seeking shelter. When he was younger, he played hide-and-go-seek in the house, and was able to hide them well, knowing every twist and turn. The mob came back, after having lost Bruno, looking for the family._

_After hours of not finding them, they turned against one another. As this went on, many hurt others, and it was just getting worse. But, the mayor stepped in, ceasing all fighting. 'Stop!' _

_'Since we can't find the suspect's family, let's not focus on that- if we were cursed by magic, then we can be cured by magic. I suggest we call forth the Spirit of Slumber.'_

_The people did just that- and got more then they bargained for. The spirit can help, but it's dire- the price is ultimate. The curse was lifted… with a terrible price."_

He finishes his story, slowly- as not to startle me- closes the purple book. That was one long story. Most of the gypys were asleep- and in an instant, so was I. I was drifting. The man smiled and nodded. "Goodnight, Gilly."

Wait, how could he know my name?

"Thanks, and that was an amazing story. "I say, half conscious. And it truly was. The man says that he will be back, and puts the book down. The cover, in glossy black writing, reads "The Tale Of Woe." I finally drift off.

* * *

The next morning, I was greeted to the smell of something nice cooking and the ever so warm smile of the man. I smiled back and sat, staring into the wood's morning light.

I couldn't shake the story off of my mind. I dreamed of the family and its tragic tale. If the story is true, Sophie and Bruno are still alive.

Isn't there a woman at the edge of the woods named Sophie? Sophie the Swamp Witch?

Then…could it be? A plate of toast is placed on my lap. I nibble on it and the little bowl of fruit next to it. All the while I'm thinking of the slim possibility. I can't go to her shack myself- no one's made it out alive. But, I need to see if Neovia exists… and if it does, I'll weigh my options.

A hand is waved in front of my face. My plate is empty. "Oh, sorry. Daydreaming again." I walk over to one of the carts and clean off my plate. I do so for some of the other early riser gypsys, too.

"Thank you, but you didn't have to." The brute gypsy who read the story said to me. I shook his hand. "No, but I can't repay you enough. Thank you so much, I'm sure to visit you again, sir. I get lost at least three times a day, anyway."

The gypsys wave as I walk away.

Walking into yet another adventure. Or,

A Tale Of Woe. 


	3. Chapter 3

-Gilly's POV—

I try to move as swiftly as possible through the Haunted Woods. Leaves crunch and crumble beneath my feet and swigs snap. Some of these woods I know from experience… and my many times being lost in the woods, of course.

I come across a patch of trees that are formed to look somewhat like a cave. '_I wonder what lies that way…' _I think to myself. I had never been this way, so I must have made a wrong turn somewhere.

Oh well. I have to at least have a little fun, right?

I work furiously to snag, snap, and turn any and all of the branches that almost seem to reach out at me. I finally come across some old, dusty ruins. The ruins of a spooky city.

This must be Neovia.

I push my feet, which have mud caked onto my flats, forward. I take myself on a tour around the city. There's a ruined family business, a parlor, a fountain- all in ruins. I come across a huge mansion- the governor's, I suppose. In the heart of the city is a well, still with water, I think. The morning sun gleams on something shiny. I reach down for it.

It's a locket. A _coffin _locket. A man is pictured in it. He is wearing a black robe and has a huge staff.

Maybe this is a clue. Maybe I should find someone who has lived in these woods long enough. Maybe they know something. I quickly take it and make a run for the woods.

I first go to the Deserted Fairground. I walk right up to the first person I see, the man running a game called 'Cork Gun Gallery'.

"Excuse me, can you possibly tell me what this is and who owns it?" I ask. He takes it and examines it closely. "Why, of course, child. Well, they used to make tons of these back in the day for real cheap. I haven't really seen one in years. Sorry, but you're going to have to find someone who had lived in these woods longer than I did."

I nod, thanking the kind man. I go around the fairground, asking anyone who might know anything about the town or this locket. I come with no answers, and a free coconut, for somehow knocking one of the coconuts. Impressive.

"Well, no one around here is very useful, what if I go deeper into the woods?" I say to myself later on. I go yet again through the woods, anxious to find some answers. It is getting really, really, late. I think about going back to the gypsy camp, but I don't want to be a bother. And I'm lost.

As night falls, I am left in the cold drowsiness of the woods, all alone, just like last night. I'm left with no answers, no shelter, and no warmth. And I'm extremely lost. I pick I couple of berries and stashed some into my pocket, so I was no longer hungry.

I can't wander around forever. I think I'm near werelupe woods, which is dangerous at night, especially this late. What gets me running is when I see Eliv Thade's castle not too far away.

After aimlessly wandering in the patches of trees, underbrush, vines, and creatures, I see another light, just like last night. Two… and they look like porch lights. I start to race to the lights, excited as they get nearer and nearer. I find myself on a wooded slab, standing in front of a shack. It's old and dusty, but it feels warm.

All the people here have been so kind, so I guess this person will be the same way. I knock on the door. "Hello, is anyone home?"

No answer. Just a hissing of a meowclops. Great.

I see that the door is unlocked, so I pushed it open, slowly. I'm trembling. The woman who lives here either doesn't notice me or doesn't care less. I think it's the latter.

Her green toned hair is long and tangled, a patched witch hat and long dress on her. She still stirs the pot, not caring about me. Now I'm _really _trembling.

"H-Hi. My n-name is Gillian- or Gilly. I-I was look-looking for answers a-a-about this locket." I stutter. She turn towards me, but she looks to stop for a moment, and I take this as an invitation to explain.

"I hear that there is this dull town… and there was this family… and a curse. I was wondering if you knew anything about it." I said.

-Sophie's POV-

"I hear that there is this dull town… and there was this family… and a curse. I was wondering if you knew anything about it."

Dull? First off- Neovia was _not _dull. It was traditional and classic. Second- family. She had better not go there. Third- a curse. Tell me something I've never heard of.

The girl shakes. I finally turn to her. "There are many myths that surround these woods, around and go home before you get hurt."

I really want her to leave. But she doesn't give up. "But I've seen proof!" She points out of one of the windows. "There's this ruined town! It was once inhabited, but no one lives there now! It was the curse from the Spirit-"

I cut her off right there, though I really don't know what kind of spirit she is talking about. There must be some changes to that stupid tale. Though… it was true. "Alright kid, that's enough. I'm busy and done with you."

She pulls something out of a pocket. They're berries. "Wrong pocket!" She says. She picks out of her other pocket. A coffin locket. She holds it out to me.

Now she pushed it.

I take the locket from her outstretched hand, anger replaced with shock. "In the town! There is something creepy in-"

"Look, I really should have took care of you the very moment you came and interrupted me." I hold out my small, glowing wand in my hand. "Now, you have three seconds to get out or die." She looks shocked.

"One. Two."

She runs.

-Gilly's POV—

What choice do I have? I run for my dear life. As soon as I'm right out the door, it is slammed closed. That must have been the swamp witch.

I pout. Now I have no evidence. Or shelter. And, just my luck, it starts to rain, heavily. AND I'M STILL LOST. I, with my arms crossed, trudged through the rain, more mud caking into my already muddy flats. Good thing I'm wearing socks, right?

I find a small cave. I took out my trusty lantern and sat down, wrapping my cloak even tighter around me. I watch as the storm gets even worse, and I know- tonight is Halloween. Witches and werelupes and vampires are busy. Maybe it was a bad idea to go into that shack…

I try to fall asleep, thinking of the Tale of Woe.

I realize that the swamp witch reminds me of Sophie, the littlest girl in the story. In looks, of course. Sophie would never chase me out of the house- not that cute, innocent little girl. Sophie would have to be eighteen now, and this woman looked to be about that age.

I am almost asleep, when I hear a monstrous roar…


End file.
